1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of data entry terminals. More particularly, the invention relates to programmable data entry terminals having additional functions including video monitor and display drivers, plural printer interfaces, readers for encoded information and a cash drawer opening signal output, useful as a point of sale terminal for a retail establishment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art point of sale terminals for use in retail establishments emulate basic cash register functions. A clerk using the terminal as a cash register generally enters the coded identity and/or price of the goods or services purchased by a customer by depressing numeric keys to input transaction data, for calculating a monetary value. The keypad for entering this data is standardized, usually as a square or rectangular array of pushbuttons with function keys (e.g., "+", "-", "total", "subtotal", etc.) immediately associated with the numeric keys.
The traditional cash register kept running totals but the hard copy record of the transaction was merely a paper receipt or cash register "tab" and only included a notation that a sale was made of one or more items, at costs which were itemized, and the total of the sale. With the advent of computers, more complex computerized inventory control and reporting systems became available. Relatively more complex keyboards and scanners were provided for entering data pertaining to a transaction, possibly including the monetary value of the transaction and articles or services purchased, and at least including sufficient information to input the price or a code identifying the article or service such that the price can be obtained via data stored in memory. The systems thus typically include mass memory means such as disc or tape storage, and permanently record successive transaction information. A hard copy printer is included and can provide the retailer and the customer with a hard copy record of the transaction.
For data entry with a minimum of keystrokes, point of sale stations can include items such as bar code or magnetic strip scanners for reading and quickly inputting data encoded on articles in inventory. Such systems are fast and accurate, but require that encoded tags or labels be included. It would be advantageous to provide additional input means enabling transactions to be customized while still minimizing the number of keystrokes required of the operator.
Modern point of sale terminals are typically modular and permit needed features such as scanners, printers and the like to be included as add-ons to a basic terminal unit. Generally, the systems have a host computer with I/O ports dedicated to interfacing, for example, with a peripheral magnetic strip or bar code reader, a printer, a cash drawer controller and various other drivers. Compatibility between the host computer and peripheral devices such as monitors, drivers, decoders and keyboards is of great concern. The number and character of the peripheral devices is generally dictated by the I/O ports available on the computer, some being disposed for serial communications, some for parallel communications, etc. Where the number of peripheral devices is increased, it is generally necessary to include a corresponding circuit card in the computer to accommodate the feature, such as an asynchronous serial card, a modem card or the like.
Various devices for entering data and controlling the operation of the host computer are present in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,527 --Luecke discloses providing a calculator with interchangeable keyboards having different preselected configurations of numeric and/or function keys.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,081 --Nomura et al discloses a data input apparatus including a keyboard and a plurality of interchangeable mats which define the function of the keyboard keys.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,381 --Ng et al discloses a touch terminal which communicates with and controls a microprocessor. The microprocessor controls a bar code reader, a keyboard and I/O communication ports. The I/O ports and bar code reader are not disclosed as being integral to the keyboard.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,415,065 and 4,569,421 --Sandstedt disclose hand held data entry terminals. The terminals include dual I/O ports, a keyboard, an attached bar code scanning wand, an on-board microprocessor and a printer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,955 --Amano et al discloses a keyboard having an on-board microprocessor for controlling keyboard functions. The keyboard microprocessor communicates with an external CPU via the I/O ports.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,227--Menn discloses a keyboard having user selectable keyboard arrangements. Each key of the keyboard has an indicating area for displaying the designation or symbol for the key. This designation is changed whenever a different key arrangement is selected.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,418 --Dowsett et al discloses a keyboard having on board micro-computers and a plurality of data communication ports.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,580 --Noto et al discloses a keyboard device having LCD driving circuits, an on-board CPU and various I/O ports.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,612 --Bromley et al discloses a computer I/O keyboard device. The device has a keyboard, a number of drivers for driving terminal displays, a driver for an audio speaker, and an interface port for interfacing the device with a host computer.
The foregoing references disclose various attributes of point of sale terminals, however, there remains a need for a programmable remote terminal for interfacing with a host computer with drivers for driving a plurality of printers, a video monitor, a cash drawer, and also having a built-in magnetic stripe and bar cord reader, and a port for attachment of a bar code reading wand, wherein the terminal is both generally and specifically adapted to customization for the particular business of the retailer.
The present invention improves prior art data entry terminals useful as point of sale terminals by providing a multi-function terminal particularly suited for use as a point of sale station to be coupled to a single port of a host computer and containing a magnetic stripe and bar code reader, a keyboard programmably alterable for a variety of customized uses, and drivers and ports for video monitors, printers, LED displays and cash drawers. The invention reduces the cost of a point of sale station by integrating the interface and peripheral devices needed in a point of sale terminal and allowing the plurality of devices to be operated by a single serial computer port. The invention at the same time provides a generally applicable terminal device, and a means by which the terminal device can be specifically customized to the nature of the retail establishment, thus reducing costs and increasing the level of customization at the same time.